


Cell Block Tango

by beeyouteaful



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:36:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeyouteaful/pseuds/beeyouteaful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The princess's final attempt to restore her fleeting faith in Loki since his imprisonment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cell Block Tango

The only two people who could hope to see Loki were Frigga and myself. Thor would never forgive his brother for betraying him, and thus, wouldn't see him. And of course, Odin didn't care for him at all, even going as far as telling me never to visit the “ _prisoner_.” However, each day I would go down to the prisons and stand before his cell, and every day, he wouldn't acknowledge my existence, opting to keep his nose shoved in a book.

I knew he wouldn’t see me, not if he didn’t want to. Ever since the ruling, he had shut me out. I don’t know whether it was to keep me from being pulled into the situation as his consort, or if it was his fear of me seeing him the way everyone else did—a monster. My mind raced far too fast with different scenarios. _Does he not love me anymore? Is he avoiding me because I was angry with him? Is he trying to protect me? Hurt me?_

This time, I was determined to speak with him. To remind him how much I loved him—still love him. The click of my heels against the marble floors echoed through the halls and down the staircase. I wore his colors: forest green and gold. I wanted to catch his eye, to make him know I was still his, to show him I never stopped loving him. The guards nodded to me and mumbled greetings when I glided past. The inmates jeered at me and called out for me to come closer. I ignored them and kept my shoulders straight and head high with resilience as the gossamer fabric of my gown billowed lifelessly behind me. I was not there for them: only my prince.

Still, the thought of another fruitless journey to the prisons nauseated me. _This will be the last time_ , I thought. _After this, there is no reason to come down anymore._ As much as it pained me to think that, I couldn't keep doing this to myself. It wasn't worth the tearful mornings with Frigga—bless her soul—by my side, trying to comfort me into sleep. It wasn't worth the restless nights wrapped in his tunics and curled around his pillow. None of the heartbreak was worth my time.

I shook myself out of my self-pitying thoughts and focused on being strong. I stopped for a moment to breathe, the other inmates' comments lost in the rush of blood in my ears. I rounded the corner and saw my prince, sitting by the back pillar of his cell and focusing on a book. I stood for a moment in silence, just memorizing the peaceful image before me. I knew he read to escape.

"Loki," I said, calm and even. He didn't react. "Please, please look at me." His finger twitched on the page. I knew he could hear me. "My Prince… my Loki." Still, no reaction.

I bowed my head in defeat. _I knew it_. My face burned with the tears welling in my eyes.

"Why won't you see me?" I barely whispered, falling to my knees. The prisoners in the cell across from his laughed at me, shouting obscenities and making sexual jokes about me on my knees. I tried not to listen to them. It was so hard to ignore their mocking. I lifted my head and turned to face them, watching as they threw themselves at the barrier. A rage that I had never felt before burned inside my stomach. I felt nauseous and furious at the same time, about explode in anger as I rose to my feet, ready to spout expletives at them. "You—"

"—will not speak of my wife this way." The anger drained from me with those words, and I turned to face Loki's cell. He was on his feet, slithering toward the window, glaring daggers into the creatures across the corridor. He raised his hand to press against the barrier. "She is a princess of Asgard and shall not be subjected to this behavior. I will end you if it happens again. You hear me, cretins?" he growled. "You. Will. Know. Pain." His threats rang through the halls. The others fell silent. I stared in awe as he snarled at them.

"Loki?" His face brightened with the sound of my voice, but his lips did not yet smile.

"My love." His attention was on me now, tired eyes soft with concern. I reached my hand up to meet his on the glass. Tears streamed down my cheeks again, though this time they were ones of joy. We stood there, searching each other's eyes for some form of assurance that the other was alright.

"May I?" I broke the silence. He nodded in response, stepping back from the glass. I slipped my hand through the barrier with the little bit of magic Frigga taught me. Loki guided me up, pulling me towards him. "You son of a bit—" his lips silenced me in a loving kiss. I tensed before melting into his embrace, grabbing at his torn, emerald tunic to keep me grounded.

"Don't speak of Frigga that way," he joked with a small grin as we parted.

"Why haven't you spoken with me in weeks? _Weeks_ , Loki. It felt longer than the whole year you were gone, knowing you were so close but so far away."

"I couldn't face you." His eyes grew sad again, and I pushed a soft strand of his disheveled curls from in front of them. “I couldn't—”

"I still love you, Loki." He smiled sadly.

"No others in the world would love a mass murderer."

"Just say it back, you fool," I pleaded.

"I love you. I always will." I hugged him tight around his thinning waist. We stood there for what felt like centuries, holding each other. His rough tunic scratched my cheek, but I didn't care. I finally had him back.

"Are you not eating?" I finally asked, pulling away with a sniffle.

"Odin only sends the _finest_ of moldy scraps,” he snickered.

"To his son?" Loki tensed in my arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It just slipped out." He relaxed slightly, still a little on edge.

"Even a prince loses his privilege in prison," he said flatly. I stroked his cheek with my knuckles, and he leaned into my touch like a cat would.

"I will dine with you every day."

"What?"

"I won't have _my_ prince whither away to nothing. Your tunic is so loose.” I hugged him again. “I'm going to dine with you and bring you food straight from the kitchens."

"My love, you don't have to—"

"Damn it, Loki! Just let me have an excuse to see you every day!" His grin sparkled brighter than it had before.

"Is my princely visage not enough of an excuse?" I slapped his chest.

"Of course it is. But a withering prince does his princess no good.” I slid my hands up his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, all of the heartbreak flooding back to me at once. Hot tears ran down my cheeks. “I missed you so much,” I whimpered, burying my face in his neck. “I love you. I love you, Loki.”

“I know. I know. I love you, too.” He nuzzled his nose into my hair. “You're so precious to me.” We started swaying to an imaginary beat. His hugs were my favorite. They were always tight and protective and full of love. “I thank the Norns that you didn't give up on me.”

“How could I?”

“I did terrible things. I'm a monstrosity.”

“Hush. I won't have you speak of my prince that way.” I lay my face on his chest, still swaying with him. “Sins were meant to be forgiven, Loki.”

“You’ve been reading that book on Midgardian theologies again, haven’t you?”

“It’s interesting! There are so many of them, but they all have very similar values.”

“I will never understand the inner workings of your mind,” Loki chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

We stayed that way for a while, enclosed in each other’s arms. My tears had stopped once I realized that I had broken his wall down and he had let me back in for good. I squeezed him tighter.

“Thank you, my love,” he whispered. “For everything.”


End file.
